Google on iPhone update; EA's Spore for Mac; iPlayer for Apple TV

Google is warning iPhone users about the effects of Apple's v1.1.3 firmware update on Gmail. Meanwhile, EA has announced plans to bring its "Spore" title to the Mac later this year. And BBC is strongly considering offering its iPlayer web video service through the revamped version of Apple TV.

Google on iPhone v1.1.3

Google says that if users setup mail on their iPhones simply by tapping the "Gmail" icon, the v1.1.3 upgrade will convert access from POP to IMAP. The result is that messages read on an iPhone will also appear as read in the Gmail web interface, and any deletions will move messages to the web Trash bin, where they will be permanently deleted after 30 days.

It is noted, however, that it is possible to disable this behavior by manually configuring IMAP, or reverting to POP in a similar manner. The protocol shift is just one of a number of changes introduced to Gmail this week, among them automatic refreshing and contact completion on the iPhone. General changes to Gmail have included larger attachment limits, expanded chat options, and the ability to integrate non-Google e-mail accounts.

EA reveals Spore for Mac

At the Macworld Expo this week, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) announced that "Spore" will be available for the Mac later this year.

EA describes the gaming title as "your own personal universe in a box. In this universe you can create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations and even sculpt entire worlds. In Spore you have a variety of creation tools at your disposal that allow you to customize nearly aspect of your universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even spaceships. While Spore is a single player game, your creations and other players creations are automatically shared between your galaxy and theirs, providing a limitless number of worlds to explore and play."

Both the PC and Macintosh versions of the game will feature the full experience of cell through to space with editors for designing creatures, buildings, and vehicles, EA said.

Like the game developer's other recent Mac titles, Spore for the Mac will be made possible through TransGamings Cider Portability Engine.

BBC to bring iPlayer to Apple TV?

The BBC is strongly considering offering its iPlayer web video service through the revamped Apple TV, writes the company's technology director Ashley Highfield on his blog.

Apple's shift from purchase-only videos to a rental model would allow the British network to mimic the functions of the website while providing a more comfortable TV environment, he says. While the shows could still be free to watch, the Apple TV's system would avoid copyright issues by automatically clearing episodes after their viewing period is up, a feature that show producers currently "insist" upon for the website.

The BBC is strongly considering offering its iPlayer web video service through the revamped Apple TV, writes the company's technology director Ashley Highfield on his blog.

Apple's shift from purchase-only videos to a rental model would allow the British network to mimic the functions of the website while providing a more comfortable TV environment, he says. While the shows could still be free to watch, the Apple TV's system would avoid copyright issues by automatically clearing episodes after their viewing period is up, a feature that show producers currently "insist" upon for the website.

This is the future of non-sport television: parallel, not series.
Not watching a channel and seeing whatever comes your way, then logging on to have your "lost" chat or dialing up to vote for your americal idol; rather, you go to a website optimized for couch-surfing, and you watch what you want, when you want, courtesy of banner ads, product placements, and possibly download fees, and the link for the chatroom/contest for the free tshirt/buy concert tickets/other community stuff is right there.

TV networks _also_ are basically "orifices" at this point (one-way, towards you). They should offer a more weblike interactive medium and I think apple TV is poised to deliver this. Tivo is a linux box that could do it too, but won't because they are focused on the DVR, and stevo will never add a DVR.

Would the BBC's offerings be available to users in the US? Or would it be a commonwealth only thing? I would love some solid, free content available from iTunes...

Of course, I'm sure that there will be people complaining about the 24 hour vewing limit!

The BBC's iPlayer will only work through UK-based IP addresses. This limitation is due to licensing/royalty issues (e.g. allowing viewing in the USA would impact on the ability of the BBC to sell its programming) and to the fact that iPlayer is a service provided to UK television owners who are obliged to pay an annual licensing fee (which finances the BBC) -- currently £135.50, or $266, for a colour television.

I would love it if non-UK residents could purchase BBC programming --- it seems to me that this would not be difficult to implement with Apple TV.

Google says that if users setup mail on their iPhones simply by tapping the "Gmail" icon, the v1.1.3 upgrade will convert access from POP to IMAP. The result is that messages read on an iPhone will also appear as read in the Gmail web interface, and any deletions will move messages to the web Trash bin, where they will be permanently deleted after 30 days.

I guess for people who have only ever used POP, this is a bit of a shock. But for someone who ditched POP in favor of IMAP as soon as I understood the differences between the two, this is a welcome default.

I mean, having local copies of email and status information on every computer/device you use (and never knowing when it's actually been deleted on the email server) only really makes sense if you still use dialup or other intermittent internet access methods (and only have one device which you use for email).

Having a central repository of email which is accessed and modified exactly the same way on every network-capable device you use to view it, and has email status information stored centrally just makes more sense in my eyes. Especially nowadays with almost continuous internet access and with many people having more than one computer (or, at least, more than one device they use to check email). IMAP's time has finally arrived in my eyes.

The BBC's iPlayer will only work through UK-based IP addresses. This limitation is due to licensing/royalty issues (e.g. allowing viewing in the USA would impact on the ability of the BBC to sell its programming) and to the fact that iPlayer is a service provided to UK television owners who are obliged to pay an annual licensing fee (which finances the BBC) -- currently £135.50, or $266, for a colour television.

I would love it if non-UK residents could purchase BBC programming --- it seems to me that this would not be difficult to implement with Apple TV.

Bummer. I knew it would be too good to be true if I could get BBC programing free... Still, if they could come up with a reasonable fee for "renting" programs (I don't experiment much when I'm paying $2 for a show and I don't need to own) I think it would be excellent.

The BBC financing scheme sounds rather interesting. Sorry to go off topic, but I'm curious: how do they know how many TVs you have? Are there commercials on BBC shows? I feel very ignorant...

The BBC's iPlayer will only work through UK-based IP addresses. This limitation is due to licensing/royalty issues (e.g. allowing viewing in the USA would impact on the ability of the BBC to sell its programming) and to the fact that iPlayer is a service provided to UK television owners who are obliged to pay an annual licensing fee (which finances the BBC) -- currently £135.50, or $266, for a colour television.

I would love it if non-UK residents could purchase BBC programming --- it seems to me that this would not be difficult to implement with Apple TV.

IIRC, BBC are planning to roll out the iPlayer internationally, on a paid for basis, once they have sorted out the free service in the UK.